IDF, ISPAD and Sanofi Diabetes partner on the KiDS project, an initiative to foster a supportive school environment for children with diabetes

Every 10 minutes a young person around the world finds out they have diabetes1. Numbers of type 1 diagnoses are increasing every day, and as obesity rates grow in children, type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly prevalent.2,3 To address this, the KiDS project aims to foster a safe and supportive school environment for children with type 1 diabetes to help them manage the condition and avoid discrimination. The KiDS project will also raise awareness of diabetes and the importance of healthy diets and physical activities to help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Schools play an important role in protecting the rights of school children with diabetes; however, for many of these children a lack of knowledge within schools around diabetes can lead to isolation, stigma and discrimination. In response to this, Sanofi Diabetes, in collaboration with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), as well as other local partners in India and Brazil, has co-created the KiDS project.

First piloted in India and Brazil in 2014, KiDS* aims to foster a school environment that creates a better understanding of diabetes and supports children with the condition. A technical advisory committee of international diabetes experts was established to develop a global diabetes information pack adapted to individual country needs and tailored for use by school staff, parents, parents of children with diabetes and children.

Available online (www.idf.org/education/kids) in multiple languages**and free of charge, the KiDS information pack is divided into two sections: one focused on type 1 diabetes offering guidelines for the management of children with diabetes at school and a sample diabetes management plan; the second is focused on healthy lifestyles to support improved type 2 diabetes management. The pack is further divided into sections for teachers, parents and children with diabetes.

Thanks to the joint effort of IDF, ISPAD and Sanofi Diabetes as well as Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and local partners in Brazil and India, the KiDS project has achieved a high level of recognition and will be further rolled-out to other countries worldwide. Alongside the pack, training sessions have been developed and taken place in the two pilot countries.